Simply Sojourns

15 Ways to Save Money for Travel

by

simplysojourns

-

March 1, 2016

These are the small and big changes I made in order to afford travel. Some changes take discipline, while others effortless. However, I still struggle with smaller expenses – especially during the holiday season when Starbucks releases their holiday drink menu! But there are always ways to save money for travel.

On the whole these changes, in an effort to save money, have been pretty successful. Our monthly utilities cost stay consistent and I always manage to put a portion aside into a savings account.Bring your own lunch to work Bring last night’s meal to work as leftovers for lunch. Make your coffee at home Start bringing your coffee to work from home or make a cup of instant Joe at the office. This will save you loads when you stop spending $3 a day. Walk/bike instead of taking your car to work, a friend’s house, or to run errands. Not only will this save you from buying gas, you’ll also start to feel better too! Cook your own meals instead of going out for dinner on the weekends, invite your friends over and ask them all to bring a dish. Unplug phone/tablet chargers if you’re not currently charging your phone or tablet. This will save on electricity and help the environment! Take shorter showers, though this might be a hard one for those of us living in colder climates. I know warm showers feel nice, but that water bill sure doesn’t. Keep your showers between 5-10 minutes and only wash your hair every second day to avoid having to rinse your hair. Cancel your gym membership and exercise outside You have the whole outdoors as a gym. Lace up your shoes and go for a run outside! Use park benches for push up and lunges. Incorporate squats, burpees and jumping jacks and you’ll wonder why you didn’t give up that membership earlier!

Cut your cable and subscribe to streaming services, like Netflix, that are often much cheaper and have similar content. Get creative for date nights Go out for a walk or cycle around a new neighbourhood. Walk around a farmer’s market, pick up fresh berries and chocolate for a romantic fondue at home. In the winter, be a kid again and go sledding or ice skating. Shop the sale racks or second hand stores to find a new outfit. Additionally, second hand stores can also be a good source to find something completely unique! Downgrade your cell phone plan Do you really need data on your smartphone? Can you do with just WiFi? Most likely yes. Make your gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Start making gifts for your friends and loved ones instead of buying them. Homemade gifts offer more of a personal touch and are more heartfelt.

Stick to your shopping list Make a meal plan and write a grocery list every week (or every few days) according to what you’ll need to follow your meal plan. Use your local library instead of buying new books and DVDs. You can often find best sellers and DVD releases at your public library and it’s always free – unless you have late fees! Make your own cleaning supplies it’s just as easy and cost efficient to make them. There are so many recipes online for homemade cleaning supplies and most call for items already stocked in your home.